


This feeling in my chest

by Set_WingedWarrior



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: F/F, Inktober, Inktober 2018, those tags are super random just so you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 20:50:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16182950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Set_WingedWarrior/pseuds/Set_WingedWarrior
Summary: And after all of their misadventures together, Ellie knew she was the one. Her family.If not, what else could have been that warmth in her chest?INKTOBER Day 3Prompt: warmth





	This feeling in my chest

**Author's Note:**

> It's almost 1AM but since tomorrow doesn't come until I go to sleep I'm still on time!

Ellie never got the chance to meet her parents.

That was a pretty common thing in the world she was born in, she wasn't the first nor the last, but that didn't save her from the super cliches about family, love etc.

Mostly books from the world before the cordyceps were full of that crap, but other orphans would occasionally talk about it too. Sometimes she forgot that not everybody lost their families at birth like she did, that some of those kids did have some parental figures to raise them before leaving them behind. She had mixed-up feelings about that.

Saying that she didn't want to know her family would've been a lie; of course she would've liked that, but at the same time it was hard to miss someone you never met and that saved her from feeling miserable. Well, more miserable.

She's used to hear those “lucky kids” crying themselves to sleep every night, calling for their moms, dads, brothers and sisters, missing their warmth. So maybe she was the lucky one.

However it was, she still did wonder about how the warmth of a loved one felt.

 

Ellie learned quickly that sharing blood with someone doesn't make them your family (backstabbings between siblings or other kind of relatives were more common than it seemed), but it surprisingly took her more time to understand that you don't need the same blood to call someone your family.

Riley's the one who taught her that. Their friendship's start was pretty harsh, but that's exactly what made it turn into a family bond in the end. It was just meant to be.

Weirdly enough, she could now understand all those sappy statements about being a family. Having someone by your side, who got your back, ready to fight for and with you. Someone you could trust blindly, knowing that they'll never betray you. And after all of their misadventures together, Ellie knew she was the one. Her family.

If not, what else could have been that warmth in her chest?

***

Ellie was exhausted.

Breathing heavily, with all of her body begging her to stay still and rest, screaming in pain at the tiniest movement, she still tried to get up and crowled toward the machete that David stupidly lost during their fight.

Still, he was way harder to take down than his stupid sidekicks. And in fact he was up, hitting her again, having fun with her. But that way of acting gave he an important insight: he didn't know about the weapon and her intentions.

She had to listen him ramble again, about how it's not shameful to give up and accepting defeat; as if she didn't know that.  
That just wasn't the case.

He didn't like her stubborness though, and hit her again. Then reached for her neck, madness in his eyes, the same madness that made him sacrifice his men just to capture her.

She felt a ball of rage warm her chest, and expand inside her body.

She already killed before to survive, but she never craved someone's death this way. It was scary, but her rage completely overwhelmed any of her fears.

Without him noticing, she reached for the handle of the weapon, and attacked.

Their positions now reversed, she hit his head with all the strength she had left. Again. And again. Blood was everywhere, his body staying still, but she didn't stop, she didn't want to and not even her weary body could stop her now.

She only stopped when a pair of strong arms took her away. Her now calmer chest rose again, her heart racing like crazy while she tried to run away, but the man comforted her. “It's me” Joel said, and she finally let herself cry and feel miserable again.   
The ball of rage slowly disappeared, leaving room for a sweeter warmth.

She didn't know which one of the two, but she didn't want to let it go.

***

Balls weren't her thing. In every sense.

Ellie didn't attend any before moving to Tommy's city with Joel, but after experiencing them for five years, she could safely say that she hated them.

Thinking about it, “hate” was a strong word; too strong. She couldn't hate a place that gave her a pretext to drink alcohol. No, she just disliked it. The noise, all those people together, it was a mess.   
And the dancing? Oh boy, if she hated to dance.

That's why she was so hesitant when Dina invited her. Well, “invited”, more like “made her” dance with her. She could've easily refused and go away, but she just couldn't say no to her.

Who could?

All of the boys were crazy for her, Jesse being particularly crazy jealous after their broke-up, and if she had to be honest she wasn't better.  
She accepted to slow dance with her after all.

She knew Dina was enjoying her newfound freedom, dancing and messing around with anybody, but when she leaned to kiss her, Ellie was petrified. She didn't see that coming, at all.

Still, she warmed out to her quickly and responded to the kiss, emotions she desperately tried to repress and ignore, sure they would've been nothing but a burden, storming out.   
Their lips slowly parting, Ellie took a moment to register what just happened in that improvised dance floor as well as what was happening inside her.

With her heart pounding in her chest, all warm inside, she rose her head and let that warmth reach her eyes with a smile.

***

She took down another one and hid, taking deep breaths while preparing herself for her next move.  
Her clothes stained with the blood of her enemies, her eyes mirroring her rage, her anger warming her body in a now familiar way.

She would've killed all of them. They didn't deserve to stay alive, they didn't deserve to die too quickly. Her revenge was what they deserved.

Helped by the friendly darkness, she moved quickly and silently, until she found another one.  
She stayed still observing them, just like a wolf staring at its prey.

They got near. She was ready. She stepped out of the darkness and surprised them with a stealth attack, piercing their neck with a stick in the perfect place to silence them and let them die not too quickly of blood loss. Then she got away, hunting the next one.  
She saw the glimmer of torches nearby, and she followed them.

When you're lost in the darkness, look for the light.

She quickly found her next target. Holding to the familiar ball of warmth inside her chest, she prepared her attack.

She knew it was her true ally, and she would've never let it go.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do a good job so bad that I let myself being late, I hope it was worth it and that you enjoyed the reading!  
> Thanks as usual to my wonderful beta and to anyone who will read, leave kudos and/or leave a comment, see you next time!


End file.
